Mr Shepherd, 57, of West Musgrave Farm, St Helen Auckland, also denies flouting a suspension notice to stop trading as a waste transfer operation, and unlawfully depositing waste at his home address.

The charges relate to a period between February 2010 and March this year.

Two other members of Mr Shepherd’s family also denied similar allegations during a brief hearing at Teesside Crown Court today (Thursday, December 20).

Paul Shepherd, 55, also of West Musgrave Farm, pleaded not guilty to running the company’s Dodsworth Street depot without an Environment Agency permit, ignoring a suspension notice, and unlawfully deposting waste at the firm’s Whessoe Road depot.

Jack Shepherd, 23, of West Musgrave Farm, denies depositing waste without a permit.